During college there was a lady in the church who would periodically cook for the pastor’s family with whom I lived. Usually she would bring over what she called Pakistani Chicken. It was a whole chicken in a pot of vegetables with a very yellow color and smelled amazing. The taste was even better.

 

 

For years I never knew what the secret spices were that made this chicken so scrumptious. I very pleased to discover it was curry and have since experimented with this wonderful, and yet often different spice.

I say different because depending on the color or  type of curry paste you get,Thai vs Indian the flavors vary.The ingredients in a traditional curry also different depending on the region within the same country.  For example:

 

Green curry paste (kreung gaeng keo wahn) is a blend of fresh green chilies and herbs and is used mainly to make Green curry, which  is often considered to be the most popular curry in Thailand

 

 

 

Red curry paste (kreung gaeng phet daeng), with a ruddy hue, is made with dried red chilies and is considered the most versatile.

 

 

 

 

Yellow curry (gaeng leung or gaeng karee ) is a Thai version of Indian yellow curry  This richer curry tends to tone down the overall spiciness of the dish, hence its popularity on menus outside of Thailand. cumin, coriander,
turmeric, fenugreek, garlic, salt, bay leaf, lemongrass, cayenne pepper, ginger, mace and cinnamon.

All those are just Thai versions. You also have Indian curry as well as Garam Masala and the list goes on of wonderful spices with which to experiment!!

 

 

One of my favorite ways to use yellow curry paired with coconut. This has become a family favorite.

The things you will need are:

Coconut Curry Chicken

1-1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/4-inch strips

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2-1/2 teaspoons curry powder, divided
• 2 Golden Curry cubes (mild or hot your preference)
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 3 tablespoons olive oil (may substitute red palm oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 diced stalk of celery
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 1 can (14.5 oz) coconut milk
• 1 can diced tomatoes (I like to use Rotel with chilis to add more spice)
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 cup frozen peas (no need to thaw)
• 1/4 cup plain low fat (2%) or whole Greek yogurt (do not use nonfat)

 

 

I use both curry powder and curry cubes. The curry cubes I like are made by Golden Curry, it resembles a chocolate bar.

I like to cover  the chicken pieces in the curry powder, turmeric, salt, pepper and ginger. This gives a nice bit of flavoring to the meat so that the meat is not bland with a flavorful sauce.

 

Heat the olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat, browning the chicken. Set the chicken to the side and add butter to the pan used with the chicken and sauté the onions, garlic, and celery.

When the vegetables are translucent, add the coconut milk and Greek yogurt, stirring regularly.

Pour the can of diced tomatoes into the mixture.  Next mix the cornstarch with a small amount of warm water to avoid clumps and pour this into the sauce. Return chicken to the sauce and simmer until desired consistency.

You can garnish with coriander, curry leaves, or even cilantro works.

Serve over rice or noodles and dig in!